Swedes lose court case

Once again Sweden's restrictive alcohol policies which have ruffled feathers in the rest of the European Union have won a victory over the would-be consumer here at home.

A Stockholm court has ruled that Swedes who tried to import alcohol from other EU countries between 2004 and 2006 should get no compensation - even if customs illegally confiscated the booze, accused the Swedes of smuggling, and charged them for the high alcohol taxes for the bottles they never received.

The court ruled that the Swedish state didn't know then that the EU would rule against it on the imports and was therefore innocent - astonishing the lawyers for the 100 Swedes who had hoped to get some compensation for that confiscated treasure.